Climate Change Sensitization in Pakistan’s Public and Private TV News: A Case Study of Floods 2022

Abstract

This paper analyzes the portrayal of climate change by Pakistani television news during the 2022 floods, a significant climate-related catastrophe in the country. A quantitative content analysis of the prime time 9 p.m. news shows on three major channels i.e. PTV (public), GEO, and ARY (private) from June to September 2022 has been conducted under the postulates of Framing Theory. Flood-related items that clearly mentioned climate change for their main frame, tone, and source were coded in the coding sheet. PTV focused on relief and official response, frequently employing a positive evaluative tone toward government actions, and allocated a smaller percentage of its flood coverage (9 percent) to climate change. In contrast, GEO and ARY prioritized governance and accountability, cited scientific and non-governmental sources more often, and integrated climate discourse more thoroughly (22 percent and 18 percent, respectively). Significant cross-channel variations in both frames and tone were validated by chi-square tests. With implications for enhancing climate risk communication in Pakistan's extremely vulnerable context, the findings demonstrate how ownership influences media narratives of climate disasters.